This invention relates to solid surface cleaning devices which, generate fine frozen particles such as ice particles that are utilized as abrasive grains or an abrasive for the surface treatments such as cleaning or blasting, spray such fine particles under a high pressure onto the surfaces of solid bodies such as semiconductor wafers to clean them.
Wet cleaning equipment, as shown in FIG. 1, for washing off contaminating foreign materials from the surfaces of solid bodies such as semiconductor wafers is already known. Ultrapure water is sprayed from the jet nozzle 101, under a high pressure, exceeding 100 kg/cm.sup.2 G, onto the surface of the cleaned solid 102, such as a semiconductor wafer, thereby removing the contaminating materials, etc.
Further, wet cleaning equipment as shown in FIG. 2 is also already known. Ultrapure water is sprayed under high pressure from the jet nozzle 101 onto the surface of the cleaned solid such as a semiconductor wafer. At the same time, a cylindrical brush 104 attached to a shaft 103 and rotated in the direction shown by an arrow A is translated in the direction B in sliding contact with the surface of the cleaned solid 102. In this manner, the contaminating materials are washed off and removed from the surface of the cleaned solid 102.
The types of cleaning equipment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have the following disadvantages.
In the case of the conventional solid surface cleaning device as shown in FIG. 1, it is difficult to remove from the surface of the cleaned solid 102 the contaminating materials that are attached thereto with a strong adhesive force, and a pressure above 100 kg/cm.sup.2 G is needed for the purpose of removing such securely attached contaminants. When, however, water is ejected with such a high pressure, the inner surface of the jet nozzle 101 is abraded by the fast running water, with the result that the particles abraded from the inner surface of the nozzle contaminate the surface of the cleaned solid 102.
On the other hand, the conventional solid surface cleaning device as shown in FIG. 2 has the following disadvantages.
(1) It is difficult to clean and remove, for example, ultra-fine contaminating particles having particle sizes of less than about 10 micrometer (.mu.m) in diameter.
(2) There is the danger that contamination may take place on the cleaned solid surface due to the abrasion of the brush.
(3) The cleaning efficiency is decreased due to static electrical charges induced on the cleaned solid surface from the friction between the brush and the cleaned solid surface.
(4) The contaminating particles attached to the brush after being removed from the cleaned solid surface may again be attached to the cleaned solid surface.
(5) The contaminating particles attached to the brush damage the cleaned solid surface.